The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-31
Colonel Theodore O'Har,s.

Two men nave maze VheuiSeiVe'
famous by writing single poem
The first was Thomas Gray, who
wrote the ''lilegy IN u Country Church
yard and the second was Theodore
O'Hara, who wrote the "Bivouac o.
the Dead" When O'iIa,a wrote hin
poem am oil opinion he did not thnl
he was writing for posterity; he wrote
it for particular occasion, and
thought no riore about it. That oc
casion was the burial OF the remains
OF the Kentucky soldiers who fell at
the battle OF Buena Vista. in Mexico,
in the cemetery OF Frankfort Ky. II
was n funeral OF great solemnity, and
the best people in the land were pres
ent. At that time O'Hara was edit
ing n newspaper in Frankfort, Ky.
and. OF course, made the best effort
he could, and no one can say II was
not a grand one. lie seems TO hay,
| thrown his whole soul into the work
and produced one OF the finest l'lece'
in the English language. How long h'
was WORKING at it no one at this day
knows, perhaps, for a. An ed,cor III
was kept busy pretty much all OF the
time. IN Kentucky Mr. Prentice was
looked upon as the poet, aud VHara'
brilliant production flashed like
meteor over the State and held mel
by it's powerful language and beautiiu
references as spell
OHara was the son OF an lrisf
school teacher, and was born IN Dan
vile. KY, in 1920. lie was remarka
bly, fond OF books, and always was
close student. He was II great admir-
a. ii Aytoun's writings. and could re
I vsDA page after page from his"lIays o
xAs Scottish Cavaliers, and when III
camp would frequently send iortl
these sounding VIC rds in such n way
as to thrill his hearers and give HIN
unbounded delight. lie was "A gooo
reader and took great pains IN his &c
itati, MS
One OF his literary feats, before IN
went to Mexico, was in writing up 10,
q Kentucky volunteer in the servic
OF the republic OF Texas his adventure
during the unfortunate Mier expedi
ton. This, though not an extraordr
narily brilliant production, had filled
the measure OF his ambition at that
time and yielded something handsome
in pecun'ary point OF view. Inn
volunteer wished to see his name II
print, and must do O'Hara the jus
tice to say that this wisl
was gratiiied. Upon seeing a copy
! OF the book wears aiterward coulC
readily understand how much OF ro'
nance there was in his mature. The
book would have done credit TO
novelist, and the illustrations wert
something marvellous. Steel engrav
ines they were, too, and sights Tor gods
and men. O'Hara was no artist, but
| believe he drew those pictures
George Cruikshank would have given
a year OF his lille TO have done as well.
The book was padded beyond all
bounds, and it was wonderful to see
| how slim thread oil facts could hold
up so much invention. How heartily
| | have heard him LAUGH over this pro
duction, which was really one OF tn,
bright things OF his life. The father o
the volunteer had borne all the ex
perse, and was gratiiied beyond meas
ure to see how fine a figure his son
cut in the pages OF this wonderful
book The author was a genius. y
When the civil war broke out
O'Hara, of course, joined the coined
crate army being a strong Calhoun
States.right man. imagine, too.
that fortune had not been overkino
to him, and that he was not very in
dustrlous. At any rate he received
the rank OF lieutenant colonel and
such nav as vouchsafed to confederate
army officers. He was Tor a time lieu
tenant colonel of the Twelfth Alaba
ma yount GERS, and afterward figured
as a Captain. General Beaurecard il
his report OF the battle OF Shiloh, men
tions him rs a Captain and acting In
spectol General. Colonel William Pres
ton. in his report OF the same battle
calls HIM Colonel, and further OH Cap
tain and Assistant Inspector General
Colonel Preston says: 1.-Two small
cabins we're near. and from n ravint
about one hundred yards TO thenortl
OF the cabins where ! was Col
onel o. Hara rode, informing me that
General Albert Sidney Johnston wa
wounded and lying in the ravine. lie
conducted ne to the spot and went
for surgeon, whom)he could not Oh
tain until too late. Descending the
ravine found the general lying on
the ground, and near his head Govern
or Harris, of Tennessee, and only
one or two other persons. He had
neither escort nor surgeon near him
His horse was wounded and bleeding.
He breathed for few minutes after
my arrival, bnt did not recognize
me. searched but found no wound